There is eight hours time difference between Belfast and Seoul, South Korea’s capital city and home to Jacqueline and Shogo Sadohara and their two children, Kei and his sister Megumi.
Jacqueline was one of the first missionaries to be sent out by CFC when she was in her late teens, going to Japan with Overseas Missionary Fellowship. Today she has been in Korea for nearly six years and is currently training in evangelism at Darakbang Evangelism Alliance in preparation for future ministry in Japan, where Jacqueline arrived in 1996. In 1999, she married Shogo, who is studying part-time for a Masters degree in Theology and is Associate Pastor with Japanese Ministries in Immanuel Seoul Church.
The journey from Belfast to Korea, via Japan, was part of an inspirational process that involved the Word of God, meetings with people and answers to prayer. However, for Jacqueline and Shogo the greatest inspiration to go on mission was ‘calling’.
Something, Jacqueline says, that is a unique experience for everyone. Regardless of your physical circumstances, weaknesses and insufficiencies “it’s a time when you know that He is pulling on the strings of your soul so hard that you cannot possibly ignore it. He has chosen to use you and it is a very humbling experience.”
What’s it all about?
To get a better idea of what Jacqueline and Shogo do day-to-day and what their mission entails, we asked them about their life in Seoul and here’s what they told us.
What is the principal purpose of your mission?
Our principal purpose is to participate in and experience the evangelism training of Darakbang Evangelism Alliance in preparation for future ministry in Japan.
What does your mission involve?
Right now, we have various fields of evangelism that God has opened up to us – Seoul business district, university campuses, Japan/Korea military missions, international marriages/families and tourism for Japanese nationals in Korea.
In each field, evangelism Bible studies occur regularly to raise up disciples and establish regional churches in each of these unique fields.
What is a typical day like for you?
Darakbang mean’s ‘Mark’s Upper Room’, the place where the early believers waited for the promised Holy Spirit, people who never ceased to witness that Jesus is the Christ. Our training helps us to get into the Gospel and open our eyes to see the evangelism field wherever that may be.
Fundamentally emphasising the word of God, prayer and evangelism, the training will enable us to live as witnesses to the fact that Jesus is the Christ in the same way that the believers of the early church did.
As well as gathering together in the various fields (business district, university campuses, Japan/Korea military missions etc) we pray that evangelism will take place as we naturally live. We also pray that no matter where we go, God will open our eyes to see the people He has prepared to receive salvation and aim to prepare ourselves for those meetings.
What were your expectations when you started?
Many of our expectations have been based on what we perceived to be cultural aspects of life in Japan and Korea. However, as time passes God has enabled us to see that Christ is not a religion - He is life itself.
The absoluteness, completeness and perfection of Christ breaks through cultural barriers and by the filling of the Holy Spirit we are given grace to overcome our physical circumstances.
What do you hope to achieve?
Our personal prayer is that we can connect every area of our life to the Word of God, prayer and evangelism on a daily basis. That we may fix our eyes, not on what is seen but on what is unseen as in 2 Corinthians 4 verse 17 and to be filled with the Holy Spirit so we can accurately receive God’s guidance.
Are there any moments that you would like to share to encourage people back home and those considering mission?
I think out of all the beautiful experiences God gives to us is when we are led to individual’s whom God has completely prepared in advance to be His disciples. From never hearing the Gospel before and having zero Christian or bible background, they realise the tug of God upon their hearts and testify to being unable to deny His call upon their lives.
There are people who we prayed for for a long time and then suddenly out of the blue God gives us a unique meeting with someone who we never knew before. Last year we had many of these meetings of blessing and are very thankful to God.
Do you have any advice for those considering mission?
Pray, pray, pray! Do not be deceived by physical circumstances, overcome all matters inside of the Gospel and enjoy the spiritual blessings and identity you have in Christ.
Anything we can do to help?
Continue to support us in prayer! You can download our latest newsletter or follow us on Face Book.
Two things you miss?
This always comes down to something physical doesn’t it? Irish bread and rhubarb tart! My parents always have a tart prepared for me from the minute I step foot in the house! For Shogo, when he returns to Osaka in Japan, it’s raamen – Japanese noodles in soup.
And of course, we all miss our family members and wish we could see them more often. However, God has given us special grace to be separated for so long and we stand in prayer for each other from the different corners of the earth. There is no greater blessing than this.
Is there a particular verse that has inspired or encouraged you in our journey?
Acts 1 verse 8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
An opportunity to serve our partners UCCI through general maintenance work and building repairs. The work is not complicated, the trip will be inspiring.
An opportunity to minister to women and help them fulfil their destiny for themselves, their families and their nation through training, equipping and empowering.
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